Filled sack sewing apparatus



Feb. 8, 1938. v. sTAfrHEM 2,107,964

FILLED SACK 'SEWING APPARATUS Filed May 9, 193e 2 sheets-sheet 1 Feb. 8, 1938. L, STATHEM 2,107,964

FILLED SACK SEWING APPARATUS Filed May 9, 1936 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Patented Feb. 8, 1938 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 8 Claims.

This invention relates to filled bag sewing machines.

The general object of this invention is to provide a mechanism whereby, while one bag is being filled, another loaded bag is being sewed, and particularly to provide two laterally spaced bag supports which are constructed to engage the mouth of a bag and hold it either open or closed, and a sewing machine disposed normally in a neutral position between the bag supports with means whereby the machine may be selectively shifted under powerin either direction from a neutral position parallel to either of the bag supports, and while being so shifted will sew the mouth of one bag while the other bag is being lled, mechanism being also provided whereby when the sewing machine has completed its sewing operation, it will be automatically stopped and will return to its neutral position.

Another object is to provide a mechanism of this character which is extremely simple, which has been found thoroughly eiiective in practice, and which may be operated by a single operator.

Other objects have to do with the details of construction and arrangement of parts, as will appear more fully hereinafter.

In order` that my invention may be the better understood, I will now proce-ed to describe the same with reference to the accompanying drawings, wherein Figure l is a view in top plan of an apparatus constructed in accordance with an embodiment of my invention, the sewing mechanism being indicated in a diagrammatic manner;

Figure 2 is a fragmentary detailed sectional view taken substantially on the line 2 2 of Figure .1;

Figure 3 is a View partly in section and partly in elevation of the means herein embodied for 40 moving the stitching mechanism along its` trackway;

Figure 4 is a vertical transverse sectional View taken centrally of Figure 1 with the stitching mechanism in elevation and of a diagrammatic character;

Figure 5 is a fragmentary view partly in front elevation and partly in section of the central portion of the apparatus as herein comprised;

Figure 6 is a detailed sectional view taken 50 lengthwise through a release member carried by one of the shafts.

As disclosed in the accompanying drawings, I denotes a horizontal beam of required length supported at a desired height by the posts 2 associatedwith the extremities of said beam I, Ex-

tending along the top of the beam I is a track 3.

At a desired distance to the rear of the beam I and positioned thereabove but parallel thereto is a shaft 4 rotatably supported at its extremities by the rear posts 5. The shaft 4 is provided therealong with a straight keyway or groove 6 extending from substantially one rear post 5 to the other.

The lower portions of each pair of adjacent posts 2 and 5 are connected by the spacing and bracing beam I while the upper end portions thereof are connected by the spacing and -bracing beam 8.

Supported by and between the rear posts 5 and a desired distance below and in parallelism l with the shaft 4 is a second shaft 9. This shaft 5 at a point substantially midway of the posts 5 is formed to provide a smooth neutral portion Ill (see Fig. 3) and said shaft 9 at both sides of said portion or station I8 is provided therealong with the threaded portions II, one portion having its thread oppositely disposed with respect to the thread of the other portion. 'I'his shaft 9 is in driven connection, as at 9a, with the shaft 4.

The sewing mechanism employed in connection with my improved apparatus and as is diagrammatically disclosed in the drawings is of a conventional type wherein the stitching mechanism may be caused to operate upon passage of the work therethrough in either direction or upon opposite travel of the mechanism.

As diagrammatically disclosed in the drawings, this sewing mechanism includes a head H of desired form and configuration and which is provided at its rear with the rearwardly directed and transversely spaced arms I2 each of which is mounted upon the shaft 4 so that the head H may be moved along said shaft 4 in either direction without any hinderance or obstruction. Thev 40 sewing machine head H has an arm extending within an opening 23 of the sewing machine head and carries a wheel 26 which travels on the track 3. Thus the sewing machine H is supported upon said track 3 and upon the shaft 4 along which 45 the rear portion of the sewing machine head travels.

This shaft 4 constitutes the drive shaft for the stitching mechanism within the head H and which mechanism in its operation, and more particularly the feed thereof, is adapted to reversely operate under control of the reverse lever i4 herein disclosed as arranged exteriorly of the head H. Freely mounted upon the shaft 4 but s plined thereto is a pulley I5 in driving connection through the medium of a belt I3 or the like with the main operating shaft I'I for the stitching mechanism within the head I-I. As this mechanism in its detail together with its manner of reverse action as hereinbefore referred to forms no particular part of the present invention and as any well known mechanism of this kind can be used, it is not believed necessary that a detailed illustration and description of the stitching mechanism be presented in connection with the present invention.

Keyed to the shaft 4 for rotation therewith but readily moving lengthwise along said shaft as afforded by the keyway or groove 6, is a clutch member I8 for coaction with the pulley I5. This member I8 is normally maintained in declutching position by a spring I9, see Figure 2. The movement of the clutch member I8 into released position is limited by contact with a sleeve 29 freely mounted on the shaft 4 between the outer end of the clutch member I8 and the arm I2 remote from the pulley I5. The head H is of such dimensions as to permit its overhanging arm 2| to extend over the beam I and terminate therebelow to position the sewing needle of the mechanism in proper position. The lhead H is also formed to properly position the feed mechanism, as at 22, below the beam I. The head H above the needle and feeding mechanism is formed to provide a transversely disposed enlarged opening 23 through which the beam I passes, said opening 23 having in communication therewith a throat 24 through which is carried the mouth portion of a lled sack to be sewed as the sewing mechanism travels across the top of the sack.

At opposite sides of the neutral portion of the shaft 9 the beam I carries a sack holding mechanism S preferably of a type such as is shown in my Patent 2,079,132, granted May 4, 1937 and filed of even date herewith. While the detailed construction of this sack holding mechanism forms no part of my present invention, yet in order that the manner in which the sack is supported may be fully understood, I have illustrated in Figure 1 a rigid bar s which extends from beneath the middle portion of the beam I to one end of the beam. This bar s is provided with inwardly extending prongs or hooks. Normally disposed parallel to the bar s is a bar s which is formed in two sections pivoted to each other at s2 so that this bar s may be turned out to the dotted lineposition, as shown in Figure 1. The sectional bar s and the rigid bar s both have inwardly extending hooks or prongs, as before stated. As described in my pending application above referred to, when the sectional bar s is shifted to the angular position shown in dotted lines in Figure 1, the bag is supported with its mouth open, and when the sectional bar is shifted to its full line position, the mouth of the bag is gripped and held closed so that the bag may be sewed. Means are provided, as described in the aforesaid patent whereby the sectional bar s' is held closed at the will of the operator and whereby at the will of the operator, the bars s and s' will turn axially to allow the weight of the bag to pull the mouth of the bag off these hooks or prongs. Each of these sack holders is, therefore, to be understood as being so constructed and arranged as to hold the mouth portion of a sack open to permit its filling and after the sack is lled to close the mouth of the sack over its contents and to hold said filled sack so that the closed mouth portion thereof will be properly operated upon by the sewing mechanism as the head H is caused to travel along said closed mouth.

One of the arms I2 has depending therefrom a supplemental arm 21 (see Figure 2) and extending laterally from this supplemental arm 21 toward the clutch member IB is a bracket 28. Supported by this bracket 28 is a vertically disposed rocker arm 29. This arm 29 as herein disclosed carries a cam 30 for contact with annular shoulder 3I comprised in the structure of the clutch member I8 whereby upon rocking movement of the shaft 29 in either direction the clutch member I8 will be brought into clutching engagement with the pulley I5 so that the same will rotate with the shaft 4 and thereby make active the sewing mechanism. The cam member 39 as herein disclosed is of what may be termed a crescent type so that it will shift the clutch member I8 inward against the pulley I5 upon an oscillation in either direction of the shaft 29 from its neutral position and when the central portion of said cam is in contact with the shoulder 3l the clutch member I8 is in fully declutching position.

The shaft 29 as herein disclosed is also provided with a crank arm 32 with which is operatively engaged one end portion of a rigid link 33 which is also operatively engaged with a plate 34. This plate 34 is mounted at the middle of its rear portion, as at 35, for swinging movement in a horizontal direction, such pivotal connection 35 being with a suitably positioned arm 36 herein disclosed as extending rearwardly from the lower portion of the head. The edge of the pivoted portion of the plate 34 diverges from the middle of such edge on a predetermined angle and the outer part of each of said diverging portions is formed to provide two open, threaded recess or half nut 3l which, upon proper rocking movement of the plate 34, in one or the other direction is selectively caused to engage with one or the other of the threads on the shaft 9. As is believed to be clearly shown in the accompanying drawings, one threaded recess is positioned for association with one of the threaded portions II of the shaft 9 and the second recess 31 coacts with the second of said threaded portions II so that the direction of travel of the head I-I and the sewing mechanism associated therewith is determined by the portion I l of the shaft 9 with which a recess 31 is engaged.

The plate 34 on its forward edge is provided with three notches 33 with which selectively engages a spring pressed holding latch 39 herein disclosed as operatively mounted upon the arm 36. When the latch 39 is engaged with the middle notch 38 both of the threaded recesses 31 are held free of the threads II while engagement of the latch 39 with one end notch 38 holds one of the recesses 3'! in engagement with its associated threaded portion Il and when the latch 39 is received in the second end notch 38 the second recess 3'1 is held in proper engagement with its threaded portion II. The notches 38 together with the latch 39 are so formed that upon sufficient stress or strain being imposed upon the plate 34 the latch 39 will move outwardly suiiicient to permit the desired adjustment of the plate 34 to bring the recesses 3l into neutral position as illustrated in Figure 3, or to selectively bring one of the sockets 3l into proper working engagement with its threaded portion I I in accordance with the direction of travel desired for the head H. While any means may be used Li l) for this selective rocking of the plate 34, in the present embodiment of my invention I provide a hand operated rod 40 suitably supported by the head H and in proper operative engagement with the plate 34. This rod 43 also carries a fork 4l for coaction with the reverse lever I4 so that the direction of operation of the sewing mechanism will be in accordance with the direction of travel of the head H. It is also to be noted that when the plate 34 is adjusted to bring the recesses 31 into neutral position the clutch member I8 will be retracted by link 33 so that during the period that the plate 34 is in neutral position, the sewing mechanism will be inactive. However, as either of the recesses 31 is adjusted into working engagement with its threaded -portion Il upon the shaft 9, the clutch member I8 will be moved into clutching engagement with the pulley l5.

At a suitable point between the beam I and the shafts 4 and 9 and in transverse alignment with the neutral portion of the shaft 9 is an upstanding tubular column 42 anchored in any desired manner in its required position. The upper end of this column 42 is open and rotatably supported by the open end portion of the column are the pulleys 43 rotating about parallel axes at right angles to the direction of travel of the head H. Secured to a rear portion of the head H, as at 44, is an end portion of a cable 45. This cable 45 passes down between the pulleys 43 into the tubular column 42 and has its lower end portion secured to a weight 46 which is sufcient to automatically return the head H to its neutral position after the head H has reached its limit of movement in one direction and the working threaded recess 31 rendered ineffective.

As herein disclosed, the outer extremities of the threaded portions Il of the shaft 9 terminate in the conical terminal members 41. Each of these members 41 is of a length and of such pitch as to automatically swing the plate 34 into its neutral position as a recess 31 rides along is forced outward by a terminal portion 41 and just as soon as the corresponding threaded recess 3i has been moved free from the shaft 9, the weighted member 46 will return the head H to its neutral position. It is preferred that the periphery of each of the release members 41 be threaded to eliminate the breaking or tearing of the adjacent thread of the portion l l which would occur if such periphery of the release member 41 be smooth. This releasing action of the members 41 is further facilitated by having the thread l I' thereof gradually decreased in depth from the inner end of the member 41 to substantially Zero at the outer end.

It will be seen that I have provided a mechanism for filling and sewing sacks in which while one sack is being sewed, another sack is being filled, and in which the sewing machine moves in opposite directions from neutral position in engagement alternately with two sacks held upon the sack supporting jaws or members S.

It will be seen further that my machine is entirely automatic as far as regards the movement of the sewing machine toward one end or the other of the frame, and as regards the return of the machine to a neutral position. The machine is entirely within the control of the operator who controls the machine by means of the controlling rod 43. The machine has very few parts; takes up but little room, and is easy to control and handle.

While I have illustrated certain details of construction and a certain definite arrangement of parts, it is to be understood that these might be varied in many ways without departing from the spirit of the invention as defined in the appended claims.

I claim:-

1. A filled sack sewing apparatus comprising a supporting structure including a straight trackway, a shaft carried by the structure in spaced parallel relation to the trackway, a sewing head, a part of the head being in sliding engagement with the shaft, and a second part travelling on the trackway, a driving member freely mounted on the shaft and operatively connected with the mechanism of the sewing head, a clutch member keyed to the shaft for rotation therewith but having sliding movement lengthwise thereof, said driving member and clutching member travelling with the head, a second shaft carried by the supporting structure, the two shafts being in driven connection, said second shaft having threaded portions, the thread of one portion being reversely disposed with respect to the thread of the second portion, one of the shafts constituting a drive shaft, vmeans for normally maintaining the head at a neutral position determined by the inner extremities of the threaded portions of the second shaft, means carried by the head selectively engaging the threaded portions of the second shaft to cause the head to travel away from its neutral position, and means at opposite sides of the neutral position of the head for supporting al filled sack in position to be stitched as the head travels along the mouth portion of thesack.

2. A filled sack sewing apparatus comprising a supporting structure including astraight trackway, a shaft carried by the structure in spaced parallel relation to the trackway, a sewing head, a part of the head being in sliding engagement with the shaft, and a second part travelling on the trackway, a driving member freely mounted on the'shaft and operatively connected with the mechanism of the sewing head, a clutch member keyed to the shaft forA rotation therewith but having sliding movement lengthwise thereof, said driving member and clutching member travelling with the head, a second shaft carried by the supporting structure, the two shafts being in driven connection, said second shaft having threaded portions, the thread of one portion being reversely disposed with respect to the thread of the second portion, one of the shafts constituting a drive shaft, means for normally maintaining the head at a neutral position located at the inner extremities of the threaded portions of the second shaft, means carried by the head selectively engaging the threaded portions of the sec-ond shaft to cause the head to travel away from its neutral position, means at opposite sides of the neutral position of the head to support a filled sack in position to be stitched as the head travels along the mouth portion of the sack, and means for making effective the hereinbefore mentioned means for selectively engaging the threaded portions of the second shaft after the head has travelled vbeyond a sack.

3. A filled sack sewing apparatus comprising a supporting structure including a straight trackway, a shaft carried by the structure in spaced parallel relation to the trackway, a sewing head, a part of the head being in sliding engagement with the shaft, and a second part travelling' on the trackway, a driving member freely mounted on the shaft and operatively connected with the mechanism of the sewing head, a clutch member keyed to the shaft for rotation therewith but Cil having sliding movement lengthwise thereof, said driving member and clutching member travelling With the head, a second shaft carried by the supporting structure, the two shafts being in driven connection, said second shaft having threaded portions, the thread of one portion being reversely disposed with respect to the thread of the second portion, one of the shafts constituting a drive shaft, means for normally maintaining the head at a neutral position determined by the inner extremities of the threaded portions of the second shaft, means carried by the head selectively engaging the threaded portions of the second shaft to cause the head to travel away from its neutral position, means at opposite sides of the neutral position of the head to support a lled sack in position to be stitched as the head travels along the mouth portion of the sack, means for automatically returning the head to its neutral position after it has passed beyond a sack.

4. A lled bag sewing structure, including two sack holding supports arranged in line and spaced from each other, a sewing head movable from a middle neutral position in either direction parallel Ito the sack holding devices and having sewing mechanism embracing said devices, means urging the sewing mechanism to its neutral position between the sack holding devices, manually operable means for driving the sewing mechanism in a selected direction from the neutral position, and means operable automatically to return the sewing mechanism to its neutral position after it has passed either of the bag holding devices.

5. A filled bag sewing structure, including two alined laterally spaced bag mouth engaging holders, each constructed and arranged to hold a bag mouth either in opened or closed position, a bag mouth sewing head sup-ported for movement parallel to the bag engaging holders and in either direction from a neutral position between the bag holders, a motor operated shaft, means operatively connecting the motor operated shaft with the sewing mechanism of the sewing'head, and including a clutch, a motor driven second shaft having reversely screw threaded portions extending from the middle of the shaft outward to its ends, a member carried by the sewing head and having reversely threaded portions selectively engageable with either of the threaded portions of the last named shaft, manually operable means for shifting said member to secure said selective engagement and automatically operated means acting to disconnect said member from the threads of the shaft when the sewing head has made a full travel in one direction, and means then acting to return the sewing head to a neutral position.

6. A bag mouth sewing structure, including two alined laterally spaced bag mouth engaging devices and adapted to hold the bag mouth either in open or closed position, a bag mouth sewing head supported for movement parallel to the bag holding devices in either direction from a neutral position between the bag holders, a motor operated shaft, means operatively connecting the motor operated shaft with the sewing mechanism of the sewing head, including a normally open clutch, a second motor driven shaft having reversely screw threaded portions extending from the middle of the shaft outward to its ends, a member mounted on the head having two reversely threaded portions selectively engageable with either of the threads of the last mentioned shaft, manually operable means for shifting said member. to secure said selective engagement,

means connected toV said member to shift the clutch into a closed operative position upon the shifting of said member to bring either one of its threaded portions into engagement with said last named shaft, means acting automatically to shift said member out of engagement with the threads of the shaft when the sewing head has traveled a predetermined distance in one direction, and means then acting to return the sewing head to its neutral position.

7. A bag mouth sewing structure, including a supporting frame, a longitudinally extending beam carried upon the forward portion of said frame and having a track, two bag mouth engaging and holding devices disposed below said beam and laterally spaced from each other, each being adapted to hold a bag mouth either in an open or closed position, a bag mouth sewing head supported on said track for movement parallel to the bag holding devices in either direction from a middle neutral position between the bag holders, a motor operated shaft mounted at the rear of the frame and with which the rear end of the sewing head vhas sliding engagement, a driving wheel carried b-y the sewing head and having sliding engagement with said last named shaft, a clutch member urged out of engagement with the driving wheel but adapted, when shifted into engagement, to operatively connect the driving wheel with said shaft, a second shaft disposed below the first named shaft and having a smooth middle portion and reversely threaded portions extending from the middle portions laterally towards the ends of the shaft, a member pivoted upon the sewing head for oscillation, said member carrying two half nuts, the member being shiftable to carry either one of its half nuts into engagement with one or the other of the screw threaded portions or into a neutral position with both of the half nuts disengaged from the screw threaded portion, manually operable maeans for shifting said member to engage either of its half nuts with the corresponding screw threaded portion of the shaft, a clutch shifting means operatively connected to said member and acting to shift the clutch into engagement with said wheel upon a movement of the member in either direction from its neutral position, means acting automatically, when the sewing head has moved in one direction a predetermined distance, to shift said member to its neutral position, and means then acting to return the sewing head to its neutral position.

8. A bag mouth sewing structure, including a supporting frame, a longitudinally extending beam carried upon the forward portion of said frame and having a track, two bag mouth engaging and holding devices disposed below said beam and laterally spaced from each other, each being adapted to hold a bag mouth either in an open or closed position, a bag mouth sewing head supported on said track for movement parallel to the bag holding devices in either direction from a middle neutral position between the bag holders, a motor operated shaft mounted at the rear of the frame and with which the rear end of the sewing head has sliding engagement, a driving wheel carried by the sewing head and having sliding engagement with said last named shaft, a clutch member urged out of engagement with the driving wheel but adapted, when shifted into engagement, to operatively connect the driving wheel with said shaft, a second shaft disposed below the first named shaft and having a smooth middle portion and reversely threaded portions extending from the middle portions laterally towards the ends of the shaft, a member pivoted upon the sewing head for oscillation, said member carrying two half nuts, the member being shiftable to carry either one of its half nuts into engagement with one or the other of the screw threaded portions or into a neutral position with both of the half nuts disengaged from the screw threaded portion, manually operable means for shifting said member to engage either of its half nuts with the corresponding screw threaded portion of the shaft, a clutch shifting means operatively connected to said member and acting to shift the clutch into engagement with said wheel upon a movement of the member in either direction from its neutral position, conical terminals disposed at the ends of the screw threaded portions of the last named shaft whereby to automatically disconnect the member from operative engagement with the shaft when the sewing head has traveled a predetermined distance, and means acting to urge the sewing head to its neutral position when the member has been so released.

VEREAU L. STATHEM. 

